OBJECTIVETo assess changes in prevalence and degree of dental fluorosis in individuals born before and after the introduction of water with 1.2 mg/L fluoride instead of water with 2.0-10.0 mg/L fluoride previously used in Da Li County in China.

METHODSThe students (n = 291) were divided into 2 groups. The dental fluorosis was scored according to Dean's classification. The statistical analysis was performed by t-test and chi(2) tests.

RESULTSThe prevalence of dental fluorosis was significantly lower in the group of the students drinking water from the new well (group 1) as compared to the group of the students drinking the old water (group 2), i.e. 48.8% versus 87.2% (P < 0.01). The percentage of moderate to very severe fluorosis was 13.9% and 0 in group 1 as compared to 32.0% and 8.8% in group 2. The fluorosis community index (FCI), defined by Dean, in group 1 and 2 was medium (1.01) and marked (2.12) respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe results showed that: (1) The prevalence of dental fluorosis was significantly lowered by the new source of drinking water. (2) Drinking water, even with 1.2 mg/L fluoride, may cause dental fluorosis during the period of tooth mineralization.

Adolescent ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Fluorides ; analysis ; Fluorosis, Dental ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Sex Factors ; Water Supply ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) on ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients' symptoms and signs, serum immunoglobulin levels, peripheral blood lymphocyte autophagy protein, autophagy gene, and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 59 AS patients were assigned to the treatment group (39 cases) and the control group (20 cases) according to random digit table. Patients in the treatment group received XFC, 0.5 g each pill, three pills each time, 3 times per day, while those in the control group received sulfasalazine (SASP), 0.25 g per tablet, 4 tablets each time, twice per day. Three months consisted of one therapeutic course. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) were statistically calculated. Serum immunoglobulins (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA , SIgA, and IgM) were detected using ELISA. Changes of Beclin1, LC3-II, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were detected using Western blot. Serum autophagy related genes such as Atg1, Atg5, Atg12, Atg13, and Atg17 were detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The correlation between immunoglobulin subtypes and autophagy gene in AS patients using Spearman correlation.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment, BASDAI, IgG1, lgG3, and IgA decreased (P < 0.01); PI3K, Akt, and mTOR protein expressions decreased (P < 0.01); ATG1, ATG12, ATG13, and ATG17 mRNA expressions decreased, ATG5 mRNA expression increased (P < 0.01) in the treatment group. But BASDAI, IgG1, and IgA levels decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); PI3K, Akt, and mTOR protein expressions decreased (P < 0.05); ATG1 and ATG13 mRNA expressions decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the control group. Compared with the control group, BASDAI, IgG1, and IgA levels decreased (P < 0.05); PI3K, Akt, mTOR protein expressions decreased (P < 0.01); ATG12 and ATG17 mRNA expression decreased, ATG5 mRNA expression increased (P < 0.01) in the XFC group. Correlation analysis showed AS patients' IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA, SIgA, IgM had negative correlation with ATG17; IgG4 and ATG17 were positively correlated (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONXFC could elevate clinical efficacy of AS patients and enhance their autophagy, which might be achieved by acting on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal, affecting autophagy gene and autophagy protein expression, taking part in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of lymphocyte B, and strengthen humoral immunity.

Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Beclin-1 ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; drug therapy ; Sulfasalazine ; therapeutic use ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the effects of the chronic Keshan disease's self-management in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Methods According to "The Serf Management Program of Chronic Keshan Disease in Liangshen Prefecture of Sichuan Province", 56 chronic Keshan disease patients were selected in the personalized self-manngemant evaluation under the instructions by endemic disease specialists and the rural doctors. Evaluation was based on changes of indexes such as the clinical symptoms, general health conditions, the electrocardiogram, X-ray, the heart function, etc, before treatment and 3 and 6 months following the treatment. Results Clinical signs and symptoms of the patients were significantly improved 3 and 6 months after the treatment, and the improvement was more obvious 6 months than 3 months following the treatment(P<0.05 or< 0.01). After treatment for 3 months, the patients'electrocardingram and heart function did not show obvious change (X2=0.05,039, P0.05); hut obvious improvements Eexcept X ray results(X2=0.61 ,P0.05)] were seen 6 months after treatment (X2=4.36,16.84, P<0.05 or<0.01). Altogether, among the 56 patients evaluated after treatment for 6 months, none achieved the clinical cure standard, 26 cases(46.3%) showed significant improvement, 17 cases (30.4%) were stable, 5 cases (8.9%) were aggravated,one case (1.8%) lost contact, and 6 cases (10.6%) died. Conclusion The project of the chronic Keshan disease's self-management is suitable for the present situati,on of the endemic regions and can he introduced to many places in our country.

OBJECTIVETo construct the expression vectors of vWF73 and vWF114 fragments of von Willebrand factor (vWF) A2 domain, and to express glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins in E. coli, and to explore their values in measuring ADAMTS13 activity as substrates.

METHODSThe DNA fragments encoding vWF73 and vWF114 were generated using PCR and separately cloned into pGEX-6P-1, a Schistosoma japonicum GST fusion expression vector. The expression of GST-vWF73-H and GST-vWF114-H was induced in liquid culture, followed by purification with Ni-NTA agarose column. The cleavage of two GST fusion proteins by recombinant ADAMTS13 (rADAMTS13) or plasma from normal individuals and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) patients were identified by Western blot. Based on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with anti-GST and anti-His monoclonal antibodies, GST-vWF73-H and GST-vWF114-H were used to measure plasma ADAMTS13 activity as substrates.

RESULTSTwo small molecular substrates of ADAMTS13, GST-vWF73-H and GST-vWF114-H, are expressed and purified, which could be specifically cleaved by rADAMTS13 or plasma from healthy individuals, but not by plasma from congenital or idiopathic TTP patients. An ELISA assay was established to detect plasma ADAMTS13 activity using GST-vWF73-H and GST-vWF114-H as substrates.

CONCLUSIONSTwo GST fusion proteins in vWF A2 domain, vWF73 and vWF114, were expressed effectively using a prokaryotic expression system and could be used to detect ADAMTS13 activity as substrates.

ADAM Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; ADAMTS13 Protein ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Glutathione Transferase ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEObservation and measurement were done on axial laminar to get the parameters of morphology in Chinese. To evaluate the possibility of the placement of axial laminar screw.

METHODSThe relative parameters of 28 sets of fresh Chinese adults' axial specimens were measured with a digital caliper, a goniometer and imageology, including the distance from superior and inferior the anchor point of the axial laminar screw to superior margin of the axial laminar, the superior,middle and inferior thickness of axial laminar, the height of axial laminar, the length and the angle of the axial laminar screw trajectory, the distance from the anchor point of the axial laminar screw to hole of vertebral artery and the central point of inferior articular process and so on. The data were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThe distance from superior and inferior the anchoi point of the axial laminar screw to superior margin of the axial laminar was 4 mm and 8 mm respectively. The superior, middle and inferior thickness of axial laminar was 3.2, 6.7, 5.5 mm respectively. The height of axial laminar was 12.8 mm. The superior and inferior length of axial laminar screw trajectory was 26.2 mm and 25.5 mm respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt is feasible and reliable for posterior laminar screw fixation techniques of axis in Chinese. C2 laminar screw fixation techniques could be used as a supplementary method for conventional posterior screw fixation techniques of C2.

Adult ; Aged ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

AIM:To explore the changes and significance of Kupffer cells in the process of tree shrew chroni -cally infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).METHODS:The animals were divided into 3 groups.Group A consists of 6 tree shrews that were identified as persistently infected with HBV;group B consists of 3 tree shrews that were suspected as persistently infected with HBV;group C consists of 4 tree shrews that were not inoculated with HBV and were applied as normal controls.Liver biopsies were collected regularly from all animals , and the Kupffer cells were isolated , purified and primarily cultured.The techniques of flow cytometry , immunohistochemistry, lysosomal fluorescent probe staining and real-time RT-PCR were applied to determine the number and function of these Kupffer cells .RESULTS: The result showed that the count and proportion of CD 163+cells in group A were significantly higher than those in group B and group C ( P<0.05).Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity levels of lysosomal , the number of lysozyme-positive cells and the mRNA ex-pression level of TNF-αin the Kupffer cells in group A were significantly lower than those in group B and group C ( P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Kupffer cells may play a regulatory role during host’s chronic HBV infection.

The relationship of HLA-A, -Cw alleles on HIV infection and AIDS disease progression in the Chinese Yi ethnic group of Sichuan province were investigated. The genetic polymorphisms of HLA-A, -Cw alleles of 102 unrelated healthy Chinese Yi ethnic individuals, 68 HIV-1 infected and 21 HIV positive long-time survivors were typed by PCR-SSP assay. Statistic signifiance was determined by the χ2 test with the SPSS software. No significant differences were observed between the HLA-A, -Cw alleles of the 68 HIV-1 infected and 102 non-infected Chinese Yi control individuals. Whereas the prevalence of A*3601,Cw*14(01-03)and Cw*0304 was significantly higher in 21 long time survivors compared with 102 healthy controls with P values of 0.016, 0.016 and 0.000 by χ2 or the Fisher exact test respectively. The result implies that A*3601,Cw*14(01-03) and Cw*0304 may be associated with slow AIDS disease progression in the Chinese Yi ethnic group, further studies on this association may yield insight on the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection.

Objective To find out the iodine nutritional status of Longyan downtown residents,evaluate the effectiveness of control measures and provide a scientific basis for developing control strategies.Methods Infants aged 0 to 2 year-old,children aged 8 to 10,adults aged 18 to 45 and pregnant and lactating women were selected as survey subjects.Children goiter was detected with B ultrasound.Residents per capita daily salt intake was investigated by weighing method.Three urinary samples and a milk sample of lactating women were randomly collected.Urinary iodine and milk iodine content were determined by arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometric assay.Blood samples were collected and thyroid function (including serum TT3,FT3,TT4 and FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) were measured with direct chemiluminescence immunoassay,and thyroglobulin antibody(TgAb),thyromicrosome antibody(TMAb),and thyroglobulin (Tg) were measured with radioimmunoassay (RIA) in serum.ResultsThe goiter rate of children aged 8 to 10 was 1.8％ (2/110),and median thyroid volume was 2.75 ml.Household iodized salt coverage rate was 100.00％(318/318),and qualified iodized salt was 94.03％ (299/318).The daily per capita salt intake was (6.13 ± 3.56)g.The average medians of urinary iodine of the infants,children,adults,pregnant and lactating women were 181.8,315.2,196.6,158.7,136.4 μg/L,respectively.The median of milk iodine of lactating women was 155.6 μg/L.The proportions of serum TT3,FT3,TT4,FT4 and TSH which higher than normal were 3.6％ (11/308),0.6％ (2/309),23％ (7/309),1.0％ (3/313) and 1.3％ (4/312),respectively.While the proportions of serum TT3,FT3,TT4,FT4 and TSH that lower than normal were 2.3％ (7/308),11.7％(36/309),2.3％(7/309),12.8％(40/313),and 1.6％(5/312),respectively,of which 16 cases of both TgAb and TMAb were higher than normal.ConclusionsExisting salt iodine level is appropriate for 0 to 2 year-old infants and young children,18 to 45 year-old adults,pregnant and lactating women in downtown Longyan city.The iodine intake of children aged 8 to 10 is excessive.Thyroid function monitoring is recommended to be included in the routine monitoring.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity in Chinese urban adults aged between 20 - 69 years old and the factors related to dentin hypersensitivity.

METHODSThe Chinese national survey on dentin hypersensitivity was conducted in 20 - 69 years old adults in six representative cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Xi'an in 2008. A multi-stage stratified randomizing sampling method was used. Subjects were recruited from 36 urban survey sites in 6 cities. A structured questionnaire and a clinical examination on dentin hypersensitivity were used in the survey. The dentin hypersensitivity was diagnosed by a subject self-perceived short, sharp pain in response to a blast of cold air from a triple syringe administered to a tooth surface in 1 cm.

RESULTSIn total, 7939 twenty to sixty-nine years old subjects completed a structured interview and underwent a clinical examination on dentin hypersensitivity. Among them, 40.7% (3230/7939) of the subjects reported being suffered from teeth sensitivity. When confirmed using a blast of air from a triple syringe and by ruling out other causes of sensitivity, such as caries, the prevalence was 29.7% (2354/7939), and the mean number of sensitive teeth was 1.4. The highest prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity [39.1% (622/1592)] was found in 50 - 59 years old group. The commonest teeth affected were the premolar teeth and the commonest initiating factor was cold drinks. Female, low education level, with gingival recession, attachment loss, and with the history of acidic substances derived from the stomach was related to dentin hypersensitivity.

CONCLUSIONSDentin hypersensitivity was common in 20 - 69 years old Chinese urban adults. Dental professionals should give further emphasis to it.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Bicuspid ; physiopathology ; China ; epidemiology ; Dentin Sensitivity ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Gingival Recession ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periodontal Attachment Loss ; complications ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo determine the methods for establishing an in vivo model of long-term hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis).

METHODSSeventy-seven neonate (1-3 days old) and 49 young adult (2 weeks to 1 year old) tree shrews were inoculated with different HBV sources (chronic hepatitis B (CHB) human patient serum, single or pooled; HBV-infected tree shrew serum, single only; HBV-infected HepG2.2.15 cells' culture medium supernatant; HBV genome-transfected HepG2.2.15 cells' culture medium supernatant) through various routes of injection (subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and direct liver via abdominal skin; adults also received intravenous and indirect liver via spleen). Serum and liver biopsies were collected from the animals at various time points post-inoculation for detection of HBV markers by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, time-resolved immunofluorescence, Southern blotting, dot blotting, immunohistochemistry, and microscopy.

RESULTSAmong the neonatal group of tree shrews, six (7.8%) were confirmed as HBV-infected for more than 72 (up to 228) weeks after inoculation and another seven (9.1%) were suspected of persistent infections. None of the young adult tree shrews developed persistent infection. Inoculation with single-source serum from either CHB humans or tree shrews were responsible for the most cases of infections, and the subcutaneous injection produced more infections than the other inoculation routes. The most reliable methods of determining HBV infection status were detection of serum HBV immunoreactive markers and intrahepatic HBV DNA.

CONCLUSIONIn order to establish an in vivo model of CHB in the tree shrew, the animals should be inoculated in the neonatal period using subcutaneous injection.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Tupaia